Friends mourn Fox News founder Roger Ailes. Enemies, not so much.

In this July 24, 2006 file photo, Roger Ailes, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox News, listens as anchor Shepard Smith, seen on screens in front and behind him, as Smith talks to the audience via satellite from Israel, at the Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo: Reed Saxon/AP)

As the longtime chairman and CEO of Fox News, Ailes profoundly changed the media landscape throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Brash, unapologetic conservative anchors like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity rose to national prominence under Ailes, reshaping the way millions of Americans receive their news.

He leaves behind a legacy that’s as polarizing as it is significant. His supporters say Fox News provided a much-needed outlet for conservative thought in a media world dominated by left-leaning outlets. His detractors accuse Fox News of further deepening the left-right divide in the U.S., and of appealing to emotions rather than facts.

“Today America lost one of its great patriotic warriors. Roger Ailes. For Decades RA’s has impacted American politics and media,” he wrote. “He has dramatically and forever changed the political and the media landscape singlehandedly for the better.”

Roger Ailes and Sean Hannity (Photos: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty)“Today America lost one of its great patriotic warriors. Roger Ailes. For Decades RA’s has impacted American politics and media,” he wrote. “He has dramatically and forever changed the political and the media landscape singlehandedly for the better.”

Hannity called Ailes “a true American original” and said few people will have as big an impact on their country as Ailes had on the United States. The newsman, Hannity said, was a great strategist, always five steps ahead of his opponents — playing chess while they were busy with checkers.

“On a personal note, were it not for Roger Ailes, I would not be the person I am today,” Hannity said. “In 1996 he took a huge risk on an inexperienced, young, local radio talk show host in Atlanta. To this day I have no earthly idea why I was hired and not fired early on, as I had little television experience when I was hired by FNC, as old tapes humbly remind me. He saw something in me and many others he hired that we never saw in ourselves, and he forever changed the trajectory of thousands of peoples lives.”

But not everyone’s thoughts about Ailes were warm. Plenty of liberals made it resoundingly clear that they would not feign respect for him, even upon news of his death, citing his politics and allegations of sexual harassment.

A Fox News employee who'd been sexually harassed by Ailes said this morning, "Justice."

Hannity anticipated this kind of reaction and said it would “be nice if the media would leave Roger and his family alone in their time of grief.” He said that “all have sinned and fallen short” and suggested Ailes’ critics should remember what Jesus said about casting the first stone.

“I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning. Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many. He was also a patriot, profoundly grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise—and to give back. During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life…”

While reporting on his passing, “Fox & Friends” anchor Ainsley Earhardt said, “Beth, you’re in our thoughts and our prayers and so is Zachary, their beautiful son. Roger, rest in peace.”